Microplastics in Food

Microplastics in Food: What Are You Actually Eating? Microplastics in food are no longer just a question about pollution in oceans and waterways. Researchers have detected microscopic plastic particles in a variety of foods and beverages, raising an obvious question: How much plastic are we being exposed to through what we eat and drink? The […]

Microplastics in Your Body

Microplastics in Your Body: How Are You Being Exposed?

Microplastics are no longer only an environmental pollution issue. Researchers have detected microplastics in human samples including blood, urine, stool and organs, while studies have also reported their presence in tissues such as the lungs and placenta.

Estuarine microplastics under megacity pressure: methodological fragmentation, ecological exposure and management priorities in Can Gio Mangroves

Microplastic (MP) pollution in tropical mangroves is an emerging environmental concern, yet the mechanisms governing particle retention, remobilization, and ecological exposure remain poorly understood. This critical review synthesizes current evidence from the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve (Vietnam) using a three-tiered evidence hierarchy to distinguish local observations, contextual evidence, and testable hypotheses. Existing studies reveal severe methodological fragmentation, including…

Bacteria-nanoplastic interactions: mechanisms, ecological consequences, and advances in biodegradation technologies

Nanoplastics (< 1 μm) represent a pervasive class of environmental contaminants with unique physicochemical properties that profoundly influence microbial ecosystems. Their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, weathering-induced functionalization, and ability to adsorb chemical pollutants and biomolecules facilitate intricate interactions with bacterial communities. This review systematically examines nanoplastic-bacteria interactions, highlighting mechanisms such as oxidative stress induction,…

All-optical Mie void sensor for complex nanoplastic mixtures

The fragmentation and direct release of plastic debris have emerged as a pressing ecological concern. Once dispersed, these particles infiltrate food webs, accumulate within organisms, and bind toxic co-contaminants, posing long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. Despite growing awareness, the characterization of nanoplastics remains highly challenging. Moreover, obtaining additional information, such as particle shape or material composition, further exacerbates these detection hurdles….

Sizing and quantification of micro- and nanoplastics by single particle ICP-MS: a comparison between quadrupole and high-resolution instruments

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are widespread environmental pollutants of growing concern due to their persistence and impacts on ecosystems and human health. Their small size, chemical complexity, and low environmental concentrations make accurate detection and quantification challenging. Single-particle (sp) ICP-MS has emerged as a promising technique for sizing and quantifying small MNPs based on their elemental content, yet the performance of different ICP-MS instrument types remains…

Integrating structure and experimental data annotations with computational modeling framework for predicting micro-nanoplastics toxicities

The wide use of plastic materials leads to increased emissions of micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) into the environment, raising significant concerns about their impact on human health. Traditional experimental approaches for assessing MNPs toxicity are costly, time-consuming, and there are no experimental protocols that are universally acceptable. Computational modeling using machine learning (ML) approaches provides an efficient alternative to MNP toxicity assessment. However, most modeling studies…

The link between microplastics and colorectal cancer

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPLs) are known to enter the human body and accumulate within different tissues. As MNPLs have been shown to exert toxic effects in vivo, we aimed to evaluate the link between MNPLs and colorectal cancer tumorigenesis. A literature review was conducted, using Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed databases. MeSH terms “colorectal carcinoma” and “microplastic” were the foundations for the search strategy. Forty-one studies were initially identified, of which fourteen were…

Microplastics in Urinary Calculi: Evidence from Human Urinary Stones

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first evidence of microplastics within human urolithiasis. The consistent detection of common environmental polymers supports the hypothesis that microplastics and nanoplastics may act as nucleation substrates or become entrapped during stone crystallization. Given the rising global prevalence of urolithiasis, these findings implicate environmental plastic exposure as a novel contributor to stone pathogenesis and underscore the importance of investigating…

Micro- and nanoplastics as emerging disruptors of Leydig cell function: A systematic review of experimental evidence

Plastic particles have been detected in human testicular tissue, raising concerns about potential effects on male reproductive health. This systematic review synthesizes experimental evidence from mammalian in vitro and in vivo studies evaluating the effects of MNP exposure on Leydig cell structure and function. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science identified 19 eligible studies. Study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment were performed…